Advent On Christmas Eve

Remember to first light all four previous candles before beginning. Our final Advent celebration is in honor of Christ and the salvation we afford through the shedding of His royal ruby red blood. Were it not for the Christ Child there would be no Christmas. Were it not for Christmas there would be no salvation. This week let us reflect on the sacrifice JESUS made when He left His royal place in heaven and took on the flesh of a man while remaining fully God. He bore our sins on a cross that we may be joint heirs with Him in eternity. Shall we never forget the ultimate sacrifice JESUS made for you and for me.

As we close this Advent celebration, remember to keep the Christ of Christmas alive in your heart.

The Scripture Reading:

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring for a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” The Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1: 26-38

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Matthew 1:18-25

The Prayer:

Father, on this day we worship Your Son whose birth was merely the beginning of a life of total sacrifice. We thank You for the prophets who foretold of His coming. We thank You for the little town of Bethlehem where the King was born. We thank You for the shepherds You chose to first hear about His birth. We thank You for the angels who brought the glorious news of the coming of Your Son. And most of all we thank You for JESUS and the hope, love, joy and peace He brings. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. It is in His name we pray. Amen.

The Candle:

Light the fifth and final tall white candle in honor of JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The Song: (Suggested)

Away in a Manger

This Christmas hymn was purportedly published in a collection entitled, Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families. The song was edited by James R. Murray who lived between 1841 and 1905.

A Letter To A Friend

My Dear Friend,

I don’t know why it sometimes takes a tragedy to express what needs to be said. But unfortunately that’s the way it is. What hampers us from conveying the most important thing anyone ever needs to hear? Are we selfish? Is it such a hard subject to share? So what is our excuse? There is none…so here goes.

The truth is, my friend, you’re dying and quickly on your way to hell. Not because of the terrible thing that has crept into your life, but because everyone who lives is at some stage of death. I’m dying, you’re dying, we are all dying and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Yes, death is inevitable. But does a soul really die? No, a soul continues to live throughout all eternity. The question is…where will your soul spend eternity, heaven or hell? Is the choice really that hard?

So you think you’re already going to heaven. What if you died today and met God face to face and He asked you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would your answer be? I’m a good person. I help people. I go to church and I don’t really sin that much.

A recent survey shows over 94 percent of people believe in God and 89 percent of people believe in heaven, and 75 percent of those people think they will get to heaven. Few people, however, actually know how to get to heaven.

How do I get to heaven, you ask? Well I’m glad you asked, my friend, because I’m going to show you what the Bible says. It’s all a matter of FAITH. Each letter in the word FAITH stands for a different word.

F is for FORGIVENESS – Everyone needs God’s forgiveness. Why?

Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We must realize that we are sinners and that we need forgiveness. We aren’t worthy of God’s grace.

A is for AVAILABLE – God’s forgiveness is available for all. How?

John 3:16 says “God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Yes, God’s forgiveness is available to all, but it’s not automatic. Why?

Matthew 7:21 says “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”  So why isn’t forgiveness automatic?

I is for IMPOSSIBLE – The Bible says it is impossible to get to heaven on our own. Why?

Ephesians 2:8 says “By GRACE you are saved through FAITH, and this is not from yourselves; it is the (free) GIFT from God.” So how can a sinful person have eternal life and enter heaven?

T is for TURN – Turn means to repent-change directions. Turn away from what; sin and self. Why?

Luke 13:3 says “Unless you repent, you will all perish as well!”

So when you turn AWAY from sin and self, you must turn TO Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” So…how do we do this thing?

Romans 10:9-10 says “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.”

What happens if a person repents of their sins and confesses Jesus Christ?

H is for HEAVEN – A place where we can live forever with God. How?

John 14:3 Jesus says “If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you can be also.” Eternal life begins with Jesus.

How can this be possible? How can I have God’s forgiveness, eternal life, and go to heaven? It starts with a simple prayer like this one.

Father, I know that I’m a sinner and that my sins have separated me from You. I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I want to turn away from my past life and turn toward You. Please help me to avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was raised from the dead, is alive and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me to obey You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Friend, if you do this easy thing you can have assurance of an abundant life here on earth with Jesus in charge of your life and the guarantee that you have a place saved for you in heaven. If you prayed the prayer, then welcome, you are a new member of Christ’s family. Then go tell somebody about it. They will be happy you did. I know I am.

Your friend,

Annette O’Hare